Sofa-bed



(No Model.)

G. NEWHOUSE & L. HANSEN.

SOFA BED.

No. 428,177. Patented May 20, 1890.

"m Spun up i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CASEY NEVVHOUSE, OF MODESTO, AND LEVIS HANSEN, OF NEWMAN,

CALIFORNIA.

SOFA-BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,177, dated May 20,1890.

Application filed October 18, 1889. Serial No. 327,425. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CASEY NEwHoUsE, residing at Modesto, Stanislauscounty, and LEWIS HANSEN, residing at Newman, Stanislaus county, both inthe State of California, citizens of the United States, have invented anImprovement in Sofa-Beds; and we hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to that class of furniture known as sofa-beds, andit consists in the novel improvement in the arm-rests of the sofa,whereby they are adapted to be con verted readily into the head-boardand footboard of the bed, and the novel improvement in the means forsupporting the back of the sofa when in an approximately uprightposition, and also, when insa horizontal position, forming part of thebed.

The object of our invention is to providea sofa-bed in which the entirelength of the bed may be utilized without interference from thearm-rests or :the head and foot boards, and in which the means forsupporting the back or folding portion are simple and effective.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof our invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of our sofa-bed,showing it as a sofa. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing it as a bed.

A is the fixed portion of the sofa-bed, and which forms the seat of thesofa and one-half of the bed. This portion has legs a and backextensionsa.

B is the back or folding portion, which forms the back of the sofa andthe other half of the bed. These portions are suitably upholstered, andthe portion B is hinged to the back of the portion A in any suitable manner, adapting it to be turned from an approximately vertical position toa horizontal position. The arm-rests of the sofa are formed of twopieces or sections 0 and C. These sec tions are substantiallysemi-cylindrical in cross-section, so that when they fit together theyform an approximately cylindrical armrest. The joint or line ofseparation between the two sections is in a vertical plane, and the twoare hinged together at their inner ends by a vertical hinge c. Thesection C is the stationary one, and is firmly fixed to the end of theseat portion A by means of end flanges or plates 0, which hold it at ora little beyond the end of the seat portion. The section 0 is free atone end and fits in behind the outer flange-plate 0 when closed up,thereby forming a perfect arm-rest. When the back portion B is loweredso that it and the seat portion are in a horizontal plane, to make thebed, the section 0 of the arm-rest is turned on its hinge through ahorizontal plane until it extends across the end of the back portion,and in this position the two pieces or sections 0 and O of the arm-restextend in a line across the whole end of the sofa-bed and expose theirplane or flat inner surfaces to the bed, the advantage of which is thatno part of the surface of the bed is impeded or obstructed by theseportions, which therefore form complete end-boards for the bed, withoutdetracting from its capacity. There is one of these arm-rests at eachend of the sofa or seat portion, and when opened out they form,respectively, the head-board and the foot-board'of the bed.

Secured to the under side of the back portion B, and at each endthereof, are the folding leaf-supports D. These consist of strips ofmaterial which extend along the inner surface of the ends of the seatportion B, and are hinged to said ends in such a manner that they mayturn from a position parallel with the plane of the ends to a positionparallel with the plane of the surface of the seat portion B, so that intheir former position theyrest on edge and practically continue theWidth of the ends of the'back B, their inner ends passing into sockets dformed in the under rear surface of the sections 0 and C, and when saidback is let down to a horizontal position these leaf-supports, restingon edge on the floor, serve as legs to hold said portion at the sameelevation as the ordinary legs a hold the seat portion. When in thesecond position, the leaf-supports turn inwardly and rest their lowerends upon the extensions a from the back of the seat portion, therebyserving as supports to rigidly hold the back portion in itsapproximately vertical position when serving as the back of the sofa.

The operation of the sofa-bed is as follows: When serving as a sofa, theseat portion is of course in a horizontal position, the end armrests areclosed up, suitable hooks are provided to hold the parts together, andthe hack portion is in a substantially upright position, having thenecessary inclination, however, to serve as the back of a sofa, and itis held in this position rigidly and firmly by the leaf supports D atits back, which are turned sidewise-that is to say, parallel with theplane of its surface or frontand rest their lower ends upon theextensions a of the seat portion. To convert the sofa into a bed, theleafsupports are turned at right angles to their former position, so asto extend in the plane of the ends of the back portion, and then theback portion B is turned down to a horizontal position, the leaf-legspassing partially under the ends of the seat portion and extendingdownwardly edgewise to the floor to support the back portion, which nowserves as half the bed. The sections C of the armrests are now turnedoutwardly, so as to extend in line with the fixed sections 0, therebyforming the head and foot boards of the bed.

\Ve are aware of two-part folding arm-rests which come together in ahorizontal plane, but not in a vertical plane, which will enable them toexpose their flat surfaces to form the head and foot board surfaces. \Vealso know of hinged legs to support the sofa-back, but not arranged asour leaf-supports are.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An improved sofa-bed consisting of a seat portion and a back portionhinged thereto, said seat portion having the under surface of its frameprovided with sockets a, a twopart arm-rest at each end of the seatport-ion, and the leaf-supports D, hinged to the inner surface of theends of the back portion and extending below and beyond said ends, andadapted to enter the sockets in the seat portion and serve as a supportfor the back portion substantially as described.

2. In a sofa-bed, the seat portion having the legs a and the rearextensions to, and having the inner under surface of its ends formedwith sockets a and the back portion hinged to the seat portion, incombination with the leaf-supports D, hinged to the inner surface of theends of the back portion, said supports extending below and beyond thesaid ends, and adapted when turned in planes parallel with the surfaceof the back portion to rest their lower ends upon the extensions a ofthe seat portion, whereby they support the back in a substantiallyupright position, and when turned-into planes parallel with the ends ofthe back portion and projecting downwardly therefrom, with theirextensions fitted in their sockets a", to serve as supports for saidback portion, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

CASEY NEXVIIO USE. LEWIS HANSEN. \Vitnesses:

C. I). COLE, J. ll. BLooD.

